Colebrooke’s

Colebrooke’s

69 Colebrooke Row
Islington
London
N1 8AA
Tel: 020 7226 7517

Islington’s smallest restaurant, Tony Moroni’s in Colebrooke Row, where Tony’s mamma served traditional Italian nosh for more than a quarter of a century is no more.

In fact one could have lived in Islington for 25 years and never known in existed.

69 Colebrooke Row – just off Essex Road near Islington Green – is now home to Islington’s smallest wine bar. But it is now worth the price of a No. 73 bus ride to seek out.

There’s seating for nearly 40, with a few pavement tables protected from the elements by an awning giving a cosy, intimate and local feel. Not that newcomers are made to feel unwelcome. Bar manager, Felix (female) is charm personified and the owners, Ross and Jake who haven’t given up their day jobs, are regulars.

Though it only opened at the end of August, it was already become a lunchtime haunt a number of local celebs.

Colebrooke’s is more of a wine bar than a restaurant. The food, though excellent and the menu designed by La Fromagerie (recent winner of The Observer’s Food Monthly’s Readers’ Award for best deli), is limited to pates, cheeses, chacuteries, nibbles and iced deserts. The home made chutney is worth the trip by itself.

Classic cocktails – not the ‘long comfortable blow job up against a white Russian’ variety – are mixed to order from £5 and Colebrooke’s features a ‘Martini of the Month’ for £5.50.

The wine list is short, though well thought out, with the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio for £14.25 a bottle leading up to a rather splendid Lebanese Cabernet Sauvignon for £23.45.

An interesting selection of bottled beers sells from £3 plus there’s also ‘refreshingly expensive’ Stella on tap.

Open 7 days a week and from noon to midnight most days, Colebrooke’s hopes to extend its opening hours shortly.

George Shaw.
Sept 2005